Times change

Extract from Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

By J.K. Rowling

‘Meet us upstairs,’ Harry whispered to Hermione, while they helped Mrs Weasley restore the garden to its normal state. ‘After everyone’s gone to bed.’

Up in the attic room, Ron examined his Deluminator and Harry filled Hagrid’s Mokeskin purse, not with gold, but with those items he most prized, apparently worthless though some of them were: the Marauder’s Map, the shard of Sirius’s enchanted mirror and R.A.B.’s locket. He pulled the strings tight and slipped the purse around his neck, then sat holding the old Snitch and watching its wings flutter feebly. At last, Hermione tapped on the door and tiptoed inside.

‘Muffliato,’ she whispered, waving her wand in the direction of the stairs.

‘Thought you didn’t approve of that spell?’ said Ron.

‘Times change,’ said Hermione. ‘Now, show us that Deluminator.’

Ron obliged at once. Holding it up in front of him, he clicked it. The solitary lamp they had lit went out at once.

‘The thing is,’ whispered Hermione through the dark, ‘we could have achieved that with Peruvian Instant Darkness Powder.’

There was a small click, and the ball of light from the lamp flew back to the ceiling and illuminated them all once more.

‘Still, it’s cool,’ said Ron, a little defensively. ‘And from what they said, Dumbledore invented it himself!’

‘I know, but surely he wouldn’t have singled you out in his will just to help us turn out the lights!’

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